Sometimes, when chocolate has been sitting around for a while, it starts to look a little strange. You might notice a white or grayish layer on top. Don’t worry — your chocolate isn’t spoiled. What you’re seeing is either sugar bloom or fat bloom, and both are harmless.
Sugar Bloom
Sugar bloom looks like a white, powdery, or grainy coating on the surface of the chocolate.
This happens when there’s too much moisture in the air. The humidity draws the sugar to the surface, and when the moisture evaporates, the sugar crystals stay behind.
Fat BloomFat bloom shows up as grayish or streaky marks on the chocolate’s surface.
It usually happens when chocolate is exposed to changes in temperature — for example, when it melts a little and then hardens again. The fat in the cocoa butter moves to the surface, creating that uneven color.
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